Use of banned purse seine nets: affected fishermen seek action against violators

The illegal use of banned purse seine nets in the district by a section of the fishermen came to the fore once again as the issue was raised by the country boat fishermen from 7 coastal villages of the district during the weekly grievances redressal meeting held at the Collectorate on Monday.

Submitting a petition in this connection to District Collector Anand Mohan, the fishermen said the Tamil Nadu Marine Fishing Regulation Act 1983 has empowered the State Government to regularise and control the fishing methods being employed by the country boat and mechanised boat fishermen. However, the use of banned purse seine nets for fishing by a section of the fishermen was seriously affecting the marine wealth to leave the fishermen following traditional fishing practices in deep trouble with their livelihood facing serious threat from this unlawful fishing method.

While using the purse seine nets in the Exclusive Economic Zone beyond the Indian territorial waters with a few conditions is allowed, use of this banned fishnet within ‘Tamil Nadu’s boundary’ could not be accepted. Hence, the Department of Fisheries should strictly enforce the ban on using purse seine nets in Tamil Nadu as this method would result in catching of tonnes of fishes in all sizes in just one harvest would pose serious threat to the country boat fishermen of Tamil Nadu coast.

Since this fishing practice was against sustainable fishing methods, the affected fishermen from 7 fishing hamlets of Tirunelveli district had filed complaints on several occasions against the violators, but no action had been taken by the Department of Fisheries for obvious reasons.

“If the officials inspect the suspected boats, its registration, license, nature of fishnets being used by these boats under question, fishing methods, their usual fishing grounds etc. are verified, the officials can easily identify the violators using purse seine nets. The Collector should take action against the fishermen using purse seine nets and the officials as well when they refused to crack whip against the violators,” the petitioners said.

A petition seeking the re-laying of damaged roads and the repairing of drainage channels in the areas of Mela Karunkulam under Ward 48 of Tirunelveli Corporation, where the Scheduled Caste people living in large number, was submitted to the Collector.

The petitioners said the roads and the drainage channels of Ashokapuram Street, Ambedkar Street, Periyar Street and Selvapuram of Mela Karunkulam, which were created between 1996 and 2001 were in the bad shape for several years. Since the Corporation was in no mood to re-lay the roads and reconstruct the damaged drainage channels, the Collector should give instructions to the officials concerned, they said.